Salem Witches and Witch Trials

The woman bumped into me and the first thing I noticed was the five-pointed pentagram on her necklace, a possible witch. I was in Salem, Massachusetts, home of the famous witch trials.

I walked to the Witch Trials Memorial and passed shops offering séances, psychic readings, tarot cards and ghost tours, not knowing what laid ahead in this town known for witches.

I walked into the Witch Trials Memorial, with a row of stone slab benches that’s inscribed with names of those who had been hanged in 1692. The name “witch” has always been one of interpretation, and the trials marked a period of injustice not to be forgotten.

A statue of Elizabeth Montgomery from Bewitched sits near Lappin Park, twitching nose and all.

Kate Leavy excitedly told me Salem is now more than witches because of the effort to save brick-and-mortar storefronts.

Salem (read more) offers New England character and maybe even a few witches!